 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. Thanks very much, Speaker. My first question this morning is to the Premier. A second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic was pretty much inevitable, yet the Ford government left Ontario unprepared, leaving families unable to access testing, students unable to socially distance, seniors facing outbreaks in long-term care, and health experts, hospitals, and frontline workers pleading with the government to take action. Why has the Premier been so incapable of admitting that Ontario has fallen short and needs to do much better? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And just to respond to the Leader of the Opposition, people ask me about the fall preparedness plan. My answer is we're ready. And we're ready because we put a billion dollars into testing and tracing that's going to help us out tremendously. We're ready because we spent a half billion dollars into long-term care. And we're ready because we have the largest flu immunization program ever in the history of this country. We're prepared at every single stage. And I want to thank the people of Ontario, the 14.5 million people that have helped us get ready, the great companies that have switched over to supply the PPEs. I went to the warehouse yesterday. What an incredible group of people at DVS. They're ready. We're ready. The people are ready. The only people that may not be ready is the Leader of the Opposition. Supplementary question. Well, Speaker, I think the Premier needs to get out and have a look at what's really going on in Ontario because the province has not been ready for COVID-19 second wave. If it was, we wouldn't have the lines that are unbelievable when it comes to testing. If it was, we wouldn't have parents worried about putting their kids in classrooms that have 30 kids in them. If we were ready, we wouldn't have health care workers and experts telling me that there is fear in the eyes of frontline workers across all of the health care system with the second wave here upon us. The Premier keeps insisting that he's done everything he could to protect seniors in long-term care, yet 1,869 seniors have now lost their lives with COVID-19, and new outbreaks are once again spreading through our long-term care homes, and the Premier has not ensured that they are safe and properly staffed. Will the Premier admit that Ontario has failed to protect seniors in long-term care and needs to do much, much better? The Minister of Long-Term Care. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you for the question. Looking at the numbers today, which we follow very, very closely and taking action with our command table, the IMS table, making sure that we consult with the medical officers of health in various regions, Public Health Ontario, and we're in direct contact with the homes that are in outbreak every single day to know what the situation is with staffing, with PPE, with IPAC, with any additional measures that they may need. So these actions are being taken on an hourly basis. We know what's happening in those homes. Only 12 out of 626 of our long-term care homes have resident cases right now, and that is heartwarming because we know what we went through in wave one. We have so much more information now. Additional layers are being put in every day as we speak, and I'm very hopeful about the rapid testing coming from Health Canada. It's a critical piece for long-term care, and that can't come soon enough, so we appreciate that a lot. Well, Speaker, I dare say that the families who've lost loved ones in long-term care since August do not feel heart-warmed. I would dare to say they do not. And it didn't need to be this way. For months, the Premier ignored pleas from teachers in schools, from lab techs in hospitals, from doctors in emergency rooms, and from residents and their family members in long-term care. He said Ontario would be ready for a second wave, and then he spent the summer on a victory tour. Health experts are pleading with the government for action that they want it now. Will the Premier finally admit that we are not where we need to be, and that we cannot keep waiting until it's too late, and that we need action and assessment now? To reply on behalf of the government. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you once again for the question. You know, it is heartwarming to see how many people are working to protect our seniors, to protect our students, to protect all our vulnerable populations across Ontario, and I commend everyone who's working tirelessly to do that. And I want to tell you where our government is not just about talking about what we're doing. We're taking action and putting dollars behind that. $405 million to help our long-term care homes with operating pressures related to COVID, including staffing, PPE, and additional supplies. $61.4 million for minor capital repairs and renovations to make sure that our homes have the appropriate infection prevention control. $30 million to allow care homes to hire more infection prevention and control staffing. $20 million of that for additional personnel and staff, and hiring more infection prevention specialists. Paramedic programs, PPE for six to eight weeks. We will continue every single day to provide the support to our long-term care homes that they need, and we will. Thank you. The next question, Dan, the Leader of the Opposition. Thanks so much, Speaker. My next question is also for the Premier. For small businesses and the many people who work for them, a second wave of the pandemic is absolutely an economic devastation on the way. They're pleading with the Ford government for help, and thus far, the Ford government has not listened. The Premier's Commercial Relief Program has been a disaster that's left thousands of businesses unable to access relief. That was actually before the impending restrictions that are on their way with COVID's second wave. This time, will the Premier actually step up to protect small businesses and jobs? Premier? Through you, Mr. Speaker, the great program that we did to help businesses in conjunction with the federal government was a great success. 54,000 businesses took us up on that offer. We're actually going to increase that as well over the next few days. We put $2.3 billion in overall savings for small businesses and $2,025.4 billion for businesses overall and the NDP and the Liberals voted against it. It's a shame. Cut small business corporate taxes to 3.2% from 3.5% effective January 1st of 2020, delivering up to $1,500 in annual savings for $275,000 small businesses. That's $250 million of relief in businesses across the province. The government passed Making Ontario Open for Business Act, which is making it easier for Ontario employers to hire and will ensure workers have easier access to jobs and career growth by cutting red tape by 25%, saving businesses over $400 million. Again, Mr. Speaker, thank you. Well, Speaker, the Premier is fond of saying that he loves small businesses, but then he leaves them out to dry in the midst of the worst economic crisis that has come our way since the Depression. And that's not a plan. It's actually a recipe for disaster. The NDP has laid out a plan, and it's called Save Main Street, and that includes direct rent subsidy for these small businesses who are struggling. And all the Premier needs to do is walk down any Main Street in our province to see the number of businesses that have closed. Without direct financial support, thousands upon thousands of small businesses will struggle to keep their doors open. Some have already lost the battle. Will the Premier stop turning his back on these businesses and the people who rely on those businesses for jobs and start saying yes to emergency rent subsidies for the people who run businesses in our province? The Premier, Mr. Speaker, I just find it so rich. Everything we've ever done for small businesses, they voted against it. They're anti-business. They believe in high taxes to businesses. Well, we're providing $10 billion in provincial tax deferrals. I ask the Leader of the Opposition, are you in favour, are you not in favour of the $10 billion tax deferrals, workplace safety and insurance board premiums deferrals and other business supports as part of COVID-19 action plan? Providing more than $900 million in urgent relief. Again, I ask the Leader of the Opposition, issue in support of small businesses, support us on the bills rather than voting against everything we're doing for small businesses. Mr. Speaker, we launched the workplace PPE supplier directory to support business owners. We're also going to provide $1,000 for small businesses to buy PPE. Again, I want to know if the Leader of the Opposition will vote for that. Mr. Speaker, we have put hundreds of millions of dollars out for support for small businesses and every time the NDP is anti-business, they want to raise taxes. Mr. Speaker, we take a different approach. We're about supportive. Thank you very much. The final supplementary. Well, Speaker, the tax deferrals aren't helpful when there's no revenue and you can't pay the rent. That's the bottom line. So, while the Premier talks about support for small businesses, businesses like the Tria Cafe, where the Premier toured during the last election campaign, had their doors actually closed on them by their landlord. Supporting small businesses and protecting jobs is essential as our province makes its way through this pandemic. New Democrats have actually listened to the small businesses and called for meaningful, direct support. Meaningful, direct support and a ban on evictions, a complete ban on evictions and lockouts, until this pandemic actually passes. That has not been done in the province of Ontario. No matter what kind of laundry list the Premier brings forward, there are still evictions happening and they have been all through the pandemic. And many people are losing to the landlords. Why hasn't the Premier listened to small businesses who are struggling and do what they need to do to keep those businesses afloat? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, in recognizing that running a business is hard at the best of times. This government has responded with $11 billion in direct support, Mr. Speaker, because it's tough for businesses in many aspects. Not just rent. That's why we've provided $175 million to keep hydro rates low. $355 million in employer health tax cuts, up to $8 million in additional supports for businesses struggling to pay their hydro bill. I grew up in a small business world myself, and growing up on my parents' little convenience store in Rexdale, they always taught me, you've got to save when times are good. And thank goodness this government, Mr. Speaker, exercise fiscal prudence in its first two years. And that's why we're able to spend today. The rains are here, Mr. Speaker, and the message to small businesses clear. We have your back. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Yesterday, the Hamilton spectator reported that the number of children waiting for surgery at McMaster Children's Hospital has skyrocketed, and the backlog will take more than a year to clear. These are children waiting far beyond the clinically acceptable amount of time for surgeries they need in order to go on with their lives. We cannot let these children be left behind. Hospitals across the province have been warning the government for months that a second wave was coming, and they would need the resources to be prepared. Premier, why has your government allowed the situation to get this bad? Well, thank you. I thank the member very much for the question. In fact, we have considered it. We have planned for it, and we have put the money into it. If you review our Keeping Ontario in Safe plan, one of the principal pillars of six pillars is to reduce the surgeries and backlogs that happened because we had to postpone them during the first wave. We know that during the second wave, we have to deal with that. Pediatric cases are particularly heartbreaking, and I've spoken to the groups that are involved with that. CHEO at Sick Kids Hospital, Kids in Crisis. I understand how difficult it is for parents, for families, for children. That is why we're putting over 280 million dollars into helping all hospitals to work down these backlogs of surgeries. We know that people have been waiting. We know that they need cardiac surgeries, cancer surgeries, children need specialized pediatric surgeries. We've allowed for that, and we're dealing with it, and we've put the money into it to allow it to happen. Speaker, not only are CHEO at McMaster's Children's Hospital waiting an unreasonably long time for surgery, the wait times for important assessments in occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and physiotherapy have grown to over a year. We're seeing a large increase in children seeking mental health supports. These assessments and mental health supports are critical for the healthy development of a child, and yet these services are increasingly out of reach. When will the premier prioritize our children's developmental, physical, and mental health? We are certainly aware of these concerns and we are prioritizing them. We understand that it's not just surgeries, that there are many procedures that children need to stay well, to stay flexible, that there are lots of issues that have been postponed because of the first wave, but they're not going to be during the second wave. We understand that these services are essential. We want to make sure that these children receive these services. That's we're putting $283 million into allowing for the surgeries, for what's going on at some of the children's hospitals to continue, because that is absolutely vital for their development. With respect to mental health, we are continuing with Roadmap to Wellness, our comprehensive mental health and addictions plan that was brought out just before COVID struck, but we're continuing with it because we know that mental health issues are continuing, both with adults as well as with children. We can't wait until after COVID is over to deal with them. We are dealing with them now. Next question, the member for Haldeman-Morfolk. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Premier, as you indicated, trends we're seeing are deeply concerning with cases doubling over the past two weeks. And by mid-October, Ontario could see a thousand new cases a day. We're starting to see a rise in case numbers across all age groups, not just among young people. And if these numbers keep rising, we'll see 200 or 300 patients in ICU a day. Premier, you and the Minister of Health said it best. We have to work together and turn the tide in this fight. When it comes to this pandemic, our government is committed to providing transparency and openness when it comes to providing information as soon as we get it. Speaker, can the Premier please share with us Legislature our fall preparedness plan? Thank you. Premier, to apply? I want to thank the great member from Haldeman-Morfolk. I know the people love them up there. This is a plan informed by the best medical minds in the entire country, informed by the Chief Medical Officer and the Health Table, Mr. Speaker. As I was saying earlier, we're investing over $2.8 billion in COVID-19 fall preparedness plan. Mr. Speaker, we are actually, we're including these hours. These hours are staggering. We're adding 484,000 hours of nursing and therapy visits. These are staggering numbers and 1.4 million hours for personal support workers. And by the way, speaking of the PSWs, they're going to get some great news today. The only government that's actually going to appreciate what they've done, recognize what they've done. You know, Mr. Speaker, response, we are ready. We're all over this. And again, Mr. Speaker, we're hiring 3,700 more healthcare workers for the fall preparedness plan. A supplementary question? Yes, Mr. Speaker. My supplemental question is to the Premier. And I want to reiterate that our top doctors indicated just yesterday that how bad the second wave is and how far it spreads is up to all of us. The actions are simple, as we know, to control the spread, physical distancing, wear a mask, stay home if you're sick, get a flu shot, and look after our elderly and our vulnerable. Premier, I know that the supply of PPA has been a topic very close to your heart and an area that you've taken personal leadership, ensuring and insuring and overseeing, really, that people in Ontario have enough supply. So in preparation for this potential second wave, Speaker, I would ask the Premier, please update this House on the current levels of PPE that are stockpiled across the province. Premier? Thank you very much to the member. And I had an opportunity to go to DVS that was out in Milton. And these folks out there, Mr. Speaker, absolutely incredible. I spoke to one person that's a picker on the floor, and he worked 92 hours. The manager worked 98 hours, and they were so proud of the job they were doing, the contribution they were doing. It was a 1.1 million square foot building. And this building was just for the schools, the 72 school boards that were supplying, and they were shipping around the clock. They're working seven days a week, 24 hours a day. And I got to give a shout out again to all the manufacturers out there. I saw firsthand millions and millions of N95 masks, surgical masks, gloves, and they're doing an incredible job. As a matter of fact, in that location alone, Mr. Speaker, there's 39 million pieces of PPE. We have more PPE, the support, not only Ontario, but the rest of the country. As I said a few months ago, when 26,000 people went on our portal and said, we're willing to help out, that's what I call the Ontario. Thank you. The next question, number for Niagara Falls. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. We've had our kids in Premier Ford's classrooms for three weeks now, and the evidence of this government's failure is clear in Niagara. We have nine schools with outbreaks, five full classrooms that children sent home. Staff and children have tested positive. This plan back to school is not working. The Conservative government was warned about having larger class sizes and too many kids on buses, but they choose not to. Listen, we simply can't have classrooms with 30 kids in them and buses with 70 kids. My question, quite frankly, is simple to the Premier. How many more schools must have outbreaks before he caps classes, sizes at 15 students, and implements measures to keep our children and our educators safe? Minister of Education. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to member opposite for the question. I was pleased to convene a call with the Chief Medical Officer of Windsor Essex just yesterday, as well as with the directors and chairs of those boards, what we have heard clearly from the front lines is that the protocols are working, that the layers of prevention put in place by the province endorsed fully by the Chief Medical Officer of Health informed by the medical community are actually helping to mitigate transmission risk within our schools. The fact that we have hired net new educators in Windsor and Essex across the region is a proof positive that our investments are reaching the front line. The fact that we have more than doubled the public health nurse capacity on the ground to respond when these issues arise is another example. We will do whatever it takes to keep the families, the students and communities in Windsor Essex and across this province safe. No disrespect, my question was about Niagara. Mr. Speaker, back to the Premier. We hear the Premier's team say that things are getting better, and the Minister just did that. Yet when you look at the results of the Premier's plan, we simply, this simply isn't accurate. We now have 342 COVID cases in 282 schools. No one can act surprised. Teachers, parents, grandparents, students were practically shouting at the Premier in August that their plan would lead to this. There are too many kids too close together and not enough PPE or funding for ventilation system to avoid this. So again, Premier, again, Premier, we now have 282 schools affected by this. How many outbreaks in schools must we have before the Premier caps class sizes at 15? And that's the issue in the province of Ontario. Class sizes at 15. Thank you. Well, thank you, Speaker. In Niagara region, we have 73 more educators hard. We have 20 more custodians. We have class sizes well below the provincial average. Kindergarten to grade 3, they are averaging at 20, well below 29, where they could have been last year. What grade 1 to 3 at 17, well below the cap of 20 previous to COVID grade 4 to 8 at 23, below the provincial average of 24.5. The investments are reaching the front lines. We are doing everything we can, leading this nation in investment in a protocol that is comprehensive, evidence-informed, and we will do whatever it takes as this risk continues to rise, working with the Minister of Health to mitigate risk and to keep our kids safe. My question is for the Premier. Premier, we appreciate yesterday's invitation from your government to work with members of the opposition to work together as Team Ontario, just like we did last spring. And Premier, we want you to know that we're here and we've always been here ready and willing to help. Ontarians are very concerned about our preparedness for the second wave. Ontario's doctors have been raising alarms saying that our testing and contact tracing capacity is not where it needs to be in order to effectively manage the spread of COVID-19. For weeks there have been long lines to get a test, more than 50,000 tests backlogged a day, and these delays and insufficient contact tracing are a cause for grave concern. Dr. Mertz, an infection disease specialist at McMaster, says that home costs, like my hometown of Ottawa, are in need of more contact tracers. So, Speaker, through you to the Premier, what is your plan to get Ontario where it needs to be in contact tracing, and when are you going to get there? The Deputy Premier and Minister of Health to respond. I thank the Member Opposite for the question. First, I would like to say that I was at the meeting yesterday as well with the leaders of the opposition parties, and I would say that we had a very productive discussion and that I understand we're going to continue having those discussions on a more regular basis. I think it's a great opportunity for us to have a greater in-depth conversation about the work that we're doing and to answer any of your questions in a venue other than strictly in question periods. So we are looking forward to that. But with respect to what we're doing with the plan, we have brought forward our plan, protecting Ontarians, our fall preparedness plan that is putting a billion dollars into testing, tracing, isolating, making sure that we have contact managers to follow up with people who have been diagnosed positive and follow up to see if anybody else has been affected by someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 and I will elaborate further my supplemental. I appreciate the Deputy Premier answering the question, although he didn't fully answer about the timing of what I'd asked for. And so I would like to say it'd be a good thing if those meetings that we had going through June that ended in June could have continued right through and they didn't and I think they would have been helpful. But we're where we're at right now and one of the concerns that families have is your plan in terms of PSWs, the readiness in Ontario's long-term care homes. 2000 PSWs is not going to be enough and there was a plan in the ministry for foreign trained nurses to become PSWs that ended at the beginning of this pandemic. So back in April, we asked the government to do this. There are 10,000 foreign trained healthcare professionals out there in Ontario who could help. BC and Quebec aggressively pursued PSWs, trained them and hired them over the summer. Question. So why is the government not taking advantage of the 10,000 foreign trained healthcare workers in this province? Minister of Health. One of the pillars of our fall preparedness plan is health human resources. You're absolutely right. We need more people to work in the system. That is why we have a plan. We have been working with the personal support workers association listening to their concerns because they have concerns beyond just pay issues. That is something that we are having those discussions with them right now and we have a plan to bring more people in. We know that we are graduating many personal support workers in Ontario but they're not staying for a whole variety of reasons including pay. But that is something that we are working on that we are developing and that we anticipate we will be able to bring back more personal support workers internally from our system in Ontario that will make sure that we have the personal support workers both in our hospitals, in long-term care, as well as home and community care. The next question, the member for Richmond Hill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the president of the Treasury Board. COVID-19 has disrupted the lives of families, businesses, communities in Ontario and around the world. Definitely for my riding in Richmond Hill. One way that the government's businesses and individuals are successfully adapting to this new normal is by providing more digital devices and embracing modern technology. We have already seen that this country wrote out their emergency notification apps just like the COVID Alert app we developed here in Ontario. The COVID Alert app assists in contact tracing, early detection and ultimately helps curb the spread of this virus. Question. I'm proud our government sees the potential technology has to keep Ontarians safe and healthy. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the president of the Treasury Board. Could the Honourable Member please tell the members of the House more about the COVID Alert app? Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I'd like to thank the terrific member for Richmond Hill for that excellent question. As Ontarians, as Canadians, we have a responsibility to one another to protect each other and downloading the COVID Alert app is an important way to do just that. Mr. Speaker, just this week we reached a major milestone. There are over now 3 million downloads of the COVID Alert app. We've seen stories about people who have been alerted, testing positive and isolating themselves, thus protecting their loved ones and communities from COVID-19. COVID Alert is an easy to use application. It never tracks your location, data or personal information. It warns you if you've been exposed to COVID-19. Anyone can find it on the Apple or Android app store. Mr. Speaker, the power to stop COVID-19 can literally be in your hands. Download COVID Alert today. Thank you. Supplementary question. Thank you, Minister. Mr. Speaker, it's great to hear how effective the COVID Alert app is stopping the spread of COVID-19. Examples like this show how important the app is when it comes to protecting individuals, our families and our communities. It is no surprise why chief medical officers at all levels of government support the use of COVID Alert app to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Mr. Speaker, this made in Ontario tool is growing success. I'm happy to say that we are joined by Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and very happily I was just informed that Manitoba just joined us too. And our friends in Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Alberta, Tobac and British Columbia have signaled the willingness to adopt the app as well. Through you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Thank you. The response, President. Mr. Speaker, I thank the member again for her question. The member from Richmond Hill is absolutely right. Provinces across the Federation are joining us by adopting the COVID Alert app. Why? Because it is working. So far more than 600 individuals in Ontario have tested positive for COVID-19 and have used the app to alert others. These are people in our communities. Think about that for a second. Because of the COVID Alert app, those individuals were able to self-isolate, get tested and protect thousands of others from being exposed to COVID-19. Their actions protected our families, our friends and our communities. I encourage everyone, all Ontarians, all members of this House to do their part, protect others, protect yourselves, protect Ontario, download the COVID Alert app today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much. Thank you for York Southwestern. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Parents of students in York Southwestern are very frustrated with the experiences with this government's online virtual learning. Parents like Felomena, whose great aid sand has been waiting since August to be assigned a teacher. She writes, I just want a simple answer of when my sand can be properly educated. This is creating an unnecessary destruction during an already very stressful time. It is now October. What does the Premier have to say to Felomena about this failed online learning plan? An online learning plan that was fully and fundamentally opposed by every member opposite for the record speaker, and it is not lost on parents who know who has stood with them through this process from the negotiations to the spring when we send educators and students home to the present, where we have said we will send up to creating new model of education delivery, the highest standard in this country, the only province in this country to provide a credible option to parents. We appreciate fully, obviously, to Felomena until any of those parents, the small minority of parents that that captures in the sentiment of that question that school boards, including in Toronto, are working very hard to attract educators to teach and to provide that educational learning that those children deserve. But, Speaker, we have created an online learning program that has lifted hundreds of thousands of kids into online virtual learning with a high set of standards of 75% of live learning. That is a high standard. It is a positive, I think, a positive development in education. We'll continue to work with our school boards providing them with the funds and the means to deliver it as strong as possible. And the supplementary question. Thank you. Thank you, Mrs. Speaker. My question again is to the Premier. Mr. Speaker, parents are fed up with all the delays and lack of planning. Leticia Ories tells me her great six cents log in credentials from the spring no longer work, and her calls and emails since July have not been answered. She writes, I don't know when or if my son will start virtual school, and it is no fault of his that the system is unprepared six full months after schools close due to COVID. What exactly does the Premier have to say to Leticia and parents like her? That choice is a strength, Speaker, that we provided parents uniquely in this province with an online option in addition to a safe in-class form of learning. A choice, Speaker, that we believe is fundamental to ensuring parents are respected, that their choice and their circumstances respected, which is why we've done that in this province, whereas in Quebec it's compulsory to go send your child to school. And, Speaker, we recognize that there are some challenges with our school boards in operationalizing these plans, but we need to give gratitude, I think, to those on the ground, our educators and administrators working very hard around the clock to provide a high standard of learning. Opposed to denigrating the work, I think we should celebrate the fact that the overwhelming majority of students in this province are in a class with a teacher learning at the highest standards. And, Speaker, in the context of technology, 121,000 more devices have been provided, internet options for more than 10,000 families. We are looking at this through the lens of equity to ensure every family that needs it gets the supports they need. We want to make sure that kids continue to learn in a safe manner. Here, here. Next question, the member for Simple. Great. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Health. Speaker, the pandemic has brought into sharp focus the need for a new hospital to replace the aging, calling with General Marine Facility, which has served the residents of the North End in my riding for more than 60 years. COVID-19 forced the hospital to set up temporary beds at the local Legion. Even before the pandemic, dialysis patients were being treated in closets, the ambulatory care, the ambulatory care unit became the emergency department. Offices and meetings were moved to trailers, conferences with patients are held in crowded hallways full of equipment, and they're not even, there aren't even change rooms for the staff. So, Mr. Speaker, my constituents continually ask me, when will the government move forward with the long-awaited development of a new calling with General Marine Hospital? The Minister of Health. Well, I thank the member very much for the question, and you have been a great advocate for your community on this issue. I do applaud you for that. As you know, we are going through a pandemic, we are devoting many resources, financial resources, to dealing with that, with the billions of dollars that we're putting into protecting Ontarians. The hospital capital supply is limited, and we are moving forward with the projects that are most in need. I recognize that there are significant issues with the Collingwood Hospital, but it is something that I hope that we can have further discussions on, further understanding of exactly where the needs are, whether this is a new build that you need, whether it's a complete renovation. These are issues that I understand are still ongoing with our staff and with you and with the hospital, and we hope that we can move forward with it quickly, but I cannot say exactly when right now that is up to a whole determination. Thank you. Thank you very much. The supplementary question. Well, thank you, Speaker. Back to the Minister, the government would know that during my 30 years in this House, governments have funded hospitals all around my writing. Oh, and Sound got a new hospital, Barry's had two new hospitals, they're working on the third, Orangeville, Mike Harrison, I opened that hospital in 1998. There's been about two billion dollars put into new market, but the 60-year-old plus hospitals in Alliston and Collingwood have had nothing done to them during that period of time, and they're long overdue. And now we hear that, and I know I'm happy that Mark Dale is getting a new building, and I'm happy for that. It helps take the pressure off the Collingwood Hospital along Highway 10 and along Highway 9. The Minister will know that John Dapoche has generously offered to donate the land for a new hospital that years ago we built a realignment, a $30 million realignment of Highway 26 to go to the new hospital, and I would just encourage her to go back to the staff and ask them to seriously consider building a new build rather than expanding the current hospital. Thank you very much for your comments and your submission. I understand those discussions are still happening between the hospital, your office, and my office. Unfortunately, as many of you would know here, many hospitals across the province of Ontario are not in wonderful condition. They are older, they have situations where they aren't able to reach the modern levels of infection prevention and control that we absolutely need right now. So we are doing our best within the ministry with the capital that's available to us on an annual basis to deal with the hospitals that are most in need, because that's what the ultimate question is. What is it going to impact the health and safety of Ontarians? But I recognize your submission with respect to the hospital in your writing, and we will continue our discussions with a view to moving forward as quickly as we can. Thank you. The member for Oakville, North Burlington. My question is for the Attorney General. When Ontarians seek resolutions to family law matters for the justice system, they are confronted with complex obstacles and a labyrinthian system that is difficult to navigate. I'm sure all members of this house know someone who at a challenging time in their life also experienced added anxiety and stress as they seek to resolve family legal matters. Last week, the Attorney General introduced legislation designed to make the family law system in Ontario more accessible for children and families. Can the Attorney General please explain how this legislation will benefit families who need to know the justice system will be there for them? Attorney General. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the member from Oakville, North Burlington, my friend and an excellent member of the House, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the member has noted last week, we introduced Bill 207, the Moving Ontario Family Law Forward Act. This legislation will help Ontarians access the family law system faster and more easily. Bill 207 introduced common sense changes that will simplify Ontario's family law system, allowing parents to spend less time on paperwork, more time with their children, and more quality time with their children at that. Simple changes like making the family law appeal routes process clear and easier to navigate, allowing parents and caregivers to request certified copies of child support notices online. These will make great differences to improve the system and make things easier for parents and families who find themselves in some of life's most difficult times. As I said during second reading debate of the bill yesterday, our government is committed to supporting families and children in the moments when they need it the most. This is what our government stands for and this is exactly what this legislation will do. My supplementary question is also to the Attorney General. I applaud the Attorney General because if passed the changes that he introduced will be instrumental in removing unnecessary barriers for families and children across the province as they work through Ontario's justice system to resolve family law matters. These are tangible solutions to processes that have posed unnecessary challenges for families for years. As the Attorney General said yesterday during second reading debate of this legislation, there are processes within the family law system that also limit the ability of the legal professionals working in Ontario courts from being able to administer justice and family law matters. Speaker, can the Attorney General please tell the legislature what the government is doing to remove unnecessary obstacles and improve access to justice? Thank you again to the member from Oakville North Burlington for the question. We have proposed the Moving Ontario Family Law Forward Act to make it easier, faster and more affordable for Ontarians to resolve family legal matters. In addition to the examples I just spoke about in my previous answer, the legislation will also harmonize Ontario family laws with the federal legislation. It will make it easier for Ontarians to navigate the system and to understand their rights. I also want to share one example that we're moving forward with in addition to the changes in Bill 207, we're expanding the dispute resolution official program to Kitchener and Welland. So the dispute resolution officers have the expertise to guide families with neutral advice and bring them closer to settlement agreements before they find themselves in front of a judge. This expansion will increase access to legal advice for families and remove pressure on Ontario's judiciary who often need to do the explanatory work that a DRO could be doing before the process begins. With the expansion of Kitchener and Welland, we have 11 locations across the province operating with dispute resolution programs. Thank you Mr. Speaker, very proud of these changes. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Health. Minister, both my colleague, the member for Temiskbing Cochran and myself have raised with you personally, raised with your ministry and raised through the Premier's office. The case of children who are not able to get their formula paid, that is necessary for them to survive. I've got Finn who lives in my riding at $75 every two days. He has Jeremy in his riding, which is $900 a month. Those drugs used to be paid if you're in a hospital they're covered, but if you go home they're not covered and they used to be paid by the previous health plan until you made the changes to the prescription drug plan. So my question and my plea to you right now is, will you intervene with the ministry in order to make sure that these children and others across Ontario get the formula they need in order to be able to survive? I'd all the members to make their presentations through the chair. Minister of Health to reply. Thank you Mr. Speaker and I thank the member for the question. This is a serious issue. Of course no one wants to see a child not having the food they need in order to survive. So I would be happy to speak with you personally about that offline and and see what we can do to resolve this. I need more particulars of these of each case and I'd be happy to work with you on that. Again I'll remind the members to make their presentations through the chair. Supplementary question. Mr. Speaker to the minister we have raised this with you. We've given you correspondents not once I think two or three times. I will gladly do it again. But the issue Mr. Speaker the issue Mr. Speaker is there has not been any action taken in order to resolve this issue. These children are in a situation where they need these formulas to survive. These families are trying to survive Mr. Speaker through a pandemic which is causing all kinds of other issues within their families. Adding this on top of it just puts everybody in an impossible situation. So I'll gladly yet again give you the documentation Mr. Speaker. But we need to have this resolve. Will you commit to making sure that these children have their prescribed have their formulas covered by the drug plan? I'm feeling a little like Chris Wallace this morning. Minister of Health to reply. Thank you Speaker and I will commit to going back to the ministry finding out where this issue is right now and working to resolve it with you. Unfortunately due to the pandemic some of the processes have been slowed down on dealing with other issues than strictly pandemic related issues. That's no excuse but I certainly will be happy to go back and follow up on this with you and to provide you with a complete response. The next question. The member for Mrs. Sargamal. Thank you Mr. Speaker through you. My question is to the minister of heritage sports tourism and cultural industries. Mr. Speaker Ontario sector including music television film production craft and design contributes over 25 billion dollars. That is over 50 percent of the cultural industry GDP in Canada. During COVID-19 Ontario's culture industries that support over 270,000 jobs were among the first and the hardest hit and will take the longest to recover. Minister these industries are axed into the cultural fabric of the province and right now they need our support through you Mr. Speaker. What is the government doing to support these amazing creators not just survive through the pandemic but grow and contribute to the society. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. Heritage Sports Tourism and Culture Industry. Thank you so much Speaker and obviously to the member for Mrs. Sargamal and I want to congratulate him for all of his efforts in supporting the cultural industries as well as our recreation and sports communities throughout the pandemic. As we all know these industries were hard hit and many artists have been struggling throughout the pandemic and have received some assistance obviously from the federal government as well as through our ministry and through Ontario creates. I think that our cultural sectors are going to be instrumental in our economic recovery but at the same time they're going to be very important for our social recovery as well which is why this past week we invested 1.3 million dollars into exporting Canadian content around the world and what a week it has been. First we saw Schitt's Creek sweep at the Emmys. Second we saw Roberta Pataglia from Mississauga come forth and in the America's Gut Talent and of course the Canadian Music Awards, Country Music Awards happen last week and we saw folks like the James Barker band succeed. They've all received support through the ministry in some way shape or form. We're going to continue to guide them through this recovery. Thank you. Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the minister for your advocacy and tireless work for the cultural industries. Mr. Speaker our government is being a strong partner in sharing the stories from Canadian creators and helping them expand in a strong indicator of just how committed our province is to ensure the industry not just survive but flourishes and contribute to the economy. Minister thank you for mentioning Schitt's Creek as we all know they broke the records for and won multiple Emmy Awards just a few weeks ago. Through you Mr. Speaker, Minister what is our government doing for this important industry to ensure that we see more homegrown successes like Schitt's Creek. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Minister? Very much. Well obviously last week as I mentioned a 1.2 million dollar investment that was a film and television export fund with 67 recipients receiving a total of $600,000. The industry development program invested over $436,000 to support up to 20 recipients to ensure that they were able to get their content out around the world and our interactive digital media fund is $117,000 to three different recipients. This is all in addition to the $350,000 we invested into something called Music Together with the music industry where we were able to support 310 artists from the safety of their own home to receive $1000 per person and we also invested $7 million in the music investment fund. The people that we support in these sectors top podiums, they top charts and they top ratings. But the next question the member for Kitchener Center. Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Sarah Frost-Manus is a Kitchener Center parent who completed her COVID-19 screening test after experiencing symptoms. She was told to stay home from work and make sure that both she and her four-year-old son got tested. This is what happened next and I quote. I tried calling St. Mary's testing center to obtain an appointment but was unable to speak to someone. I tried submitting a request online but did not hear back. I drove to the Glasgow testing center and arrived when it opened only to be turned away. I went to the St. Mary's testing center where I waited in line for six hours with my four-year-old son only to find out that I would not get tested that day. I saw countless parents with young children waiting in line, frustrated and missing work. Mr. Speaker, my question to the Premier is simple. How can this government listen to Sarah's story and then continue to tell Ontario residents that their plan is working? Well I would say that Sarah's situation was very unfortunate but that is not the experience that most people have in Ontario. However, we are putting a billion dollars, we announced that several days ago, it is part of our plan for keeping Ontario and safe, a billion dollars to test, trace and isolate new cases. So we have over 150 assessment centres now. We have opened up more assessments in pharmacies for people who are asymptomatic. We want to increase our testing capability to get it, we're well over 40,000 cases per day now. We want to get it to 50,000 and then it could proceed from there. We also are expanding our lab capacity in order to be able to test the specimens and we're increasing our contact management teams by adding more than a thousand people. So we did anticipate the increase in lineups. We have put a billion dollars into it and we are expanding each and every day. Thank you, Mr Speaker. It's difficult to believe that that response is okay given that I'm from Kitchener Centre, where a Kitchener Centre testing site had to close at 7.30 in the morning because they had already reached capacity and the police had to be called because of the winding lines. No matter how many times this government says that their plan is working, stories like Sarah's prove otherwise. She is frustrated that this government had months to prepare for an increase in demands for testing and did next to nothing, and so she wrote, working parents have been completely disregarded by this government and this government's lack of insight into the realities of middle and working class families is actually appalling. For a government to be so out of touch with the realities that working parents face, especially the lack of testing and childcare options, it's a disgrace. So through you, Mr Speaker, and back to the Premier, will he commit to fixing the mess that he made by investing in public health units so that they have the resources that they need to increase their testing capacity? Well, the actual fact is that we have anticipated an increase of a wave two of COVID-19. We've been preparing for that all summer. We've been consulting with experts. We had over 45 consultations with over 300 experts in public health and other aspects of our health care system. We've been working with Dr. Williams and our public measures command table. We have looked at each and every scenario that might arise. That is why we have the comprehensive keeping Ontarians safe plan that has come forward. It is dealing with increasing our testing volumes. We know that we need to test more to keep Ontarians safe. We are doing that. We have opened over 150 assessment centres. We have over 60 pharmacies now participating with more to come online. We're expanding our lab capacity. We're increasing our case management staff. We are doing everything we can to protect the health and safety of all Ontarians, and we're putting the money behind it, and we're implementing it now. The next question, the member for Chatham Kent Leanington. Thank you very much, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Government and Consumer Services. Mr. Speaker, on March 4, 2020, the Trust in Real Estate Services Act, known as TRESA, received royal assent marking an exciting day for Ontario's real estate sector. Now on September 29, the first set of regulation changes under the act came into effect, removing significant hurdles and concerns for realtors and consumers. Can the Minister of Government and Consumer Services please explain what actions this government is taking to help the real estate sector? Member for his question, and congratulate him because next Tuesday will be his ninth anniversary of representing the amazing riding of Chatham Kent. The real estate industry in Ontario has changed dramatically since the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act first became law back in 2002. Many of us in this House today will recall, over the years, the effective advocacy of realtors from across the province when they came to tell us about the ways in which the act had become out of sync with their needs. And now it's our government that has modernized the legislation that governs real estate professionals in Ontario through TRESA. I'm pleased to share with the House that the first phase of the regulations under TRESA come into effect today. These changes will allow real estate professionals to incorporate once and for all and be paid through a corporation and to use more recognized resources. Thank you very much for your response and just a reminder in less than a week it will also be your ninth anniversary serving the great people of Geron Bruce. The real estate sector is such an important part of life right here in Ontario for individuals, for families, and for the overall economy. Now since the previous act came into effect in 2002, the sharp increase in home sale prices alone has led to a more competitive marketplace with purchase and sale tactics that were never considered by the act. Speaker, can the minister please tell this House and the people of Ontario the steps this government has taken to ensure TRESA will deliver welcoming changes to all? There's light. Thank you, Speaker. Our government is actively engaged in supporting trustworthiness and the highest ethical standards in the real estate sector. This is essential to maintaining a healthy, open, and competitive marketplace for consumers as well as businesses. With the first phase of regulations under the Act in effect, I encourage professionals in the industry to determine if incorporation complements their business strategy. Changes to the second phase of regulatory development will include updating the code of ethics, implementing disclosure requirements to protect consumers, and will also update the authority of RICO. Speaker, we'll continue to work with stakeholders and partners to ensure that Ontario, their real estate sector, is the strongest in the country. Thank you very much. Next question, the member for Sudbury. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, the question is for the Premier. For 85 years, the Sudbury YMCA has been part of our community. The YM Sudbury is more than socializing, more than senior support, more than youth development, swimming, and athletics. Every year our Y provides 1,570 few childcare spots. Last year they helped 600 individuals in employment training and the assisted 800 newcomers and immigrants settled into Sudbury. Not-for-profits and small businesses in Ontario have been waiting months for the government to step up and provide the much needed supports required so they can survive, asking the government to finally open their wallet and prioritize nonprofits like Northeast Ontario YMCA. Speaker, will the government help the YMCA so we can keep these jobs and services in the north? Minister of Heritage. Thanks very much. This is a very important question, and it's one that my cabinet colleagues and I have been working with, and that's why earlier this summer your Ontario government, through the Ontario Trillium Foundation, announced that we would be opening up an $83 million resiliency fund to support organizations such as the YMCA. Our legions are food banks and other not-for-profit organizations that are the lifeblood of our community. The first intake ended on September 1st, but if the member is willing to work with my office, we can work with them to look at an intake for December 2nd, and again that is an $83 million resiliency fund designed for exactly what the member opposite is actually talking about. Thank you, Speaker. During the pandemic, the YMCA was here for the province. When the rest of the province was shut down, the Y provided washrooms, computers and telephone access to our most vulnerable population. The Y was our temporary emergency shelters. There are warming and cooling centers for our homeless. They provided digital inclusion for seniors. They're a place that our healthcare heroes turned to for safe, licensed child care during that first wave of the pandemic. Like many non-for-profits, the Y was devastated by the pandemic. They're currently facing a loss of over $3 million. The government should be embarrassed. They're not supporting Ontario's nonprofits. The Y was there when the province needed them, and now they need the province to be there for them today too. The Y has been here for us in Sudbury for 85 years. They're first offered to support the province when the COVID lockdown occurred. Instead of the government turning the favour, they're fundraising on their own. The government provide not-for-profits like the YMCA with the funding they need to survive this pandemic. I'm a bit mystified by the supplemental. I actually just offered to work with the member opposite to access that $83 million fund that we have set up for the very purpose that we've expressed. We understand that many of those centres in our community that are so important to the social fabric and the cultural fabric of where we're from and why we call ourselves Ontarians have been suffering, and that's why we're absolutely committed with this resiliency fund through the Ontario Trillium Foundation. I'm again offering to work with the member opposite. Again, I think it's an important moment for us all to consider what does the Ontario that we love and support so much look like in the next 18 months. I know we're dealing in the middle of a pandemic, but we are dealing with a health crisis, an economic crisis, and a social crisis as the member opposite has just pointed out. So it is really important that we continue to look around our communities to see what assets we really need to protect, and we're there and we're committed to doing that. So we're very proud of that. There's nothing to be proud about. We're being no further business this morning. This out stands in recess until 1pm.